Methods and systems of service area based network device configuration

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of network device configuration involves at a cloud server, generating a user interface to obtain user input information regarding service area configuration in a floor plan of a customer site, at the cloud server, receiving location information of a network device at the customer site, at the cloud server, automatically determining service area specific configuration of the network device based on the service area configuration in the floor plan of the customer site and the location information of the network device, and from the cloud server, transmitting the service area specific configuration to the network device.

BACKGROUND

Location specific services are commonly used in communications networks,for example, in enterprise networks, to provide services to differentnetwork devices. A typical workflow for performing location-basedservices in an enterprise typically involves multiple time consuming anderror-prone steps. For example, a typical workflow for performinglocation-based services in an enterprise requires that a business ownerin the enterprise defines what services are needed per location in adocument format and that a network administrator creates configurationtemplates and manually applies the configuration templates to networkdevices in the enterprise. Consequently, network deployment can be alengthy process, which can take several weeks to months to bring up anetwork at a customer site. Therefore, there is a need for locationspecific service technology that can automatically determine locationspecific configuration of a network device for providing a desiredlocation based service to the network device.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, amethod of network device configuration involves at a cloud server,generating a user interface to obtain user, at the cloud server,receiving location information of a network device at the customer site,at the cloud server, automatically determining service area specificconfiguration of the network device based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site and the locationinformation of the network device, and from the cloud server,transmitting the service area specific configuration to the networkdevice. Other embodiments are also described.

In an embodiment, the user interface includes a graphical user interface(GUI).

In an embodiment, the service area configuration in the floor plan ofthe customer site includes a space division of a floor in the floor planof the customer site into service zones, and each of the service zonesis a contiguous geographical area on the floor.

In an embodiment, the service area configuration in the floor plan ofthe customer site further includes network service configuration of theservice zones.

In an embodiment, the network service configuration of the service zonesincludes information specifying network services in the service zones.

In an embodiment, the network service configuration of the service zonesincludes information specifying network services to be advertised in asingle service zone of the service zones.

In an embodiment, the location information of the network deviceincludes a deployed location of the network device at the customer site.

In an embodiment, the deployed location of the network device at thecustomer site includes coordinates of the network device on a floor inthe floor plan of the customer site.

In an embodiment, at the cloud server, automatically determining theservice area specific configuration of the network device based on theservice area configuration in the floor plan of the customer site andthe location information of the network device includes at the cloudserver, mapping the coordinates of the network device on the floor inthe floor plan of the customer site to one of a plurality of servicezones on the floor.

In an embodiment, the method further includes at the cloud server,receiving network device information of the network device, where at thecloud server, automatically determining the service area specificconfiguration of the network device based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site and the locationinformation of the network device includes at the cloud server,automatically determining the service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site, the location information of the network device,and the network device information of the network device.

In an embodiment, a cloud server includes a customer information portalconfigured to generate a user interface to obtain user input informationregarding service area configuration in a floor plan of a customer siteand a device deployment module connected to the customer informationportal. The device deployment module is configured to receive locationinformation of a network device at the customer site, automaticallydetermine service area specific configuration of the network devicebased on the service area configuration in the floor plan of thecustomer site and the location information of the network device, andtransmit the service area specific configuration to the network device.

In an embodiment, the user interface includes a GUI.

In an embodiment, the service area configuration in the floor plan ofthe customer site includes a space division of a floor in the floor planof the customer site into service zones, and each of the service zonesis a contiguous geographical area on the floor.

In an embodiment, the service area configuration in the floor plan ofthe customer site further includes network service configuration of theservice zones.

In an embodiment, the network service configuration of the service zonesincludes information specifying network services in the service zones.

In an embodiment, the location information of the network deviceincludes a deployed location of the network device at the customer site.

In an embodiment, the deployed location of the network device at thecustomer site includes coordinates of the network device on a floor inthe floor plan of the customer site.

In an embodiment, the device deployment module is further configured tomap the coordinates of the network device on the floor in the floor planof the customer site to one of a plurality of service zones on thefloor.

In an embodiment, the device deployment module is further configured toreceive network device information of the network device andautomatically determine the service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site, the location information of the network device,and the network device information of the network device.

In an embodiment, a method of network device configuration involvespresenting a GUI to a user, where the GUI includes a floor plan of acustomer site, receiving input information on the GUI from the user thatcreates a plurality of service areas on a floor in the floor plan of thecustomer site, and receiving network service configuration of theservice areas on the GUI from the user.

Other aspects in accordance with the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, illustrated by way of example of the principlesof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a communications system in accordance to an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a user having a user device communicating with a customerinformation portal of a cloud server of the communications systemdepicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a network device of the communicationssystem depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of an installer device of thecommunications system depicted in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5-11 depict some example graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that canbe used to obtain user input information regarding service areaconfiguration in a floor plan of a customer site.

FIG. 12 shows a swim-lane diagram illustrating an example procedure ofautomatic network device configuration in the communications systemdepicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a process flow diagram of a method of network deviceconfiguration in accordance to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram of a method of network deviceconfiguration in accordance to an embodiment of the invention.

Throughout the description, similar reference numbers may be used toidentify similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments asgenerally described herein and illustrated in the appended figures couldbe arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.Thus, the following more detailed description of various embodiments, asrepresented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of thepresent disclosure, but is merely representative of various embodiments.While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings,the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specificallyindicated.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by this detailed description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, orsimilar language does not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the present invention should be or are in anysingle embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to thefeatures and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,discussions of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light ofthe description herein, that the invention can be practiced without oneor more of the specific features or advantages of a particularembodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages maybe recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in allembodiments of the invention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “anembodiment”, or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicatedembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the presentinvention. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”,and similar language throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

FIG. 1 depicts a communications system 100 in accordance to anembodiment of the invention. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, thecommunications system includes a cloud server 102, a deployed network150 within a customer site 114, an installer device 106, and a surveydevice 116. The cloud server, the network, the installer device, and/orthe survey device may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuits),software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Although the illustratedcommunications system 100 is shown with certain components and describedwith certain functionality herein, other embodiments of thecommunications system may include fewer or more components to implementthe same, less, or more functionality. For example, in some embodiments,the communications system includes more than one cloud server, more thanone deployed network, more than one customer site, more than oneinstaller device, and/or more than one survey device. In anotherexample, although the cloud server, the deployed network, the customersite, the installer device, and the survey device are shown in FIG. 1 asbeing connected in certain topology, the network topology of thecommunications system 100 is not limited to the topology shown in FIG.1.

The cloud server 102 can be used to provide at least one service to acustomer site (e.g., to the deployed network 150 located at the customersite 114). The cloud server may be configured to facilitate or performlocation (e.g., service area) based network device configuration tonetwork devices (e.g., the deployed network 150) at the customer site.Because the cloud server can facilitate or perform automatic servicearea based network device configuration of network devices at thecustomer site, network deployment efficiency and accuracy can beimproved. In addition, because the cloud server can facilitate orperform automatic service area based network device configuration ofnetwork devices at the customer site, a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee)at the customer site can set or modify service area based network deviceconfiguration for network devices to be deployed at the customer siteherself or himself without the work of a network administrator of thecloud server 102. Consequently, network deployment time can be shortenedand the labor cost for network deployment can be reduced. In someembodiments, the cloud server is configured to generate a user interfaceto obtain user input information regarding service area configuration ina floor plan of a customer site, to receive location information of anetwork device at the customer site, automatically determine servicearea specific configuration of the network device based on the servicearea configuration in the floor plan of the customer site and thelocation information of the network device, and to transmit the servicearea specific configuration to the network device. In some embodiments,the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI). In someembodiments, the service area configuration in the floor plan of thecustomer site includes a space division of a floor in the floor plan ofthe customer site into service zones, and each of the service zones is acontiguous geographical area on the floor. In some embodiments, theservice area configuration in the floor plan of the customer sitefurther includes network service configuration of the service zones. Insome embodiments, the network service configuration of the service zonesincludes information specifying network services in the service zones.In some embodiments, the network service configuration of the servicezones includes information specifying network services to be advertisedin a single service zone of the service zones. In some embodiments, thelocation information of the network device includes a deployed locationof the network device at the customer site. In some embodiments, thedeployed location of the network device at the customer site includescoordinates of the network device on a floor in the floor plan of thecustomer site. In some embodiments, the cloud server is furtherconfigured to map the coordinates of the network device on the floor inthe floor plan of the customer site to one of the service zones on thefloor. In some embodiments, the cloud server is further configured toreceive network device information of the network device and toautomatically determine the service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site, the location information of the network device,and the network device information of the network device. The cloudserver may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuits), software,firmware, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the cloudserver is implemented on a server grade hardware platform, such as anx86 architecture platform. For example, the hardware platform of thecloud server may include conventional components of a computing device,such as one or more processors (e.g., CPUs), system memory, a networkinterface, storage system, and other Input/Output (I/O) devices such as,for example, a mouse and a keyboard (not shown). In some embodiments,the processor is configured to execute instructions such as, forexample, executable instructions that may be used to perform one or moreoperations described herein and may be stored in the memory and thestorage system. In some embodiments, the memory is volatile memory usedfor retrieving programs and processing data. The memory may include, forexample, one or more random access memory (RAM) modules. In someembodiments, the network interface is configured to enable the cloudserver to communicate with another device via a communication medium.The network interface may be one or more network adapters, also referredto as a Network Interface Card (NIC). In some embodiments, the cloudserver includes local storage devices (e.g., one or more hard disks,flash memory modules, solid state disks and optical disks) and/or astorage interface that enables the host to communicate with one or morenetwork data storage systems, which are used to store information, suchas executable instructions, cryptographic keys, virtual disks,configurations and other data.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the cloud server includes a devicedeployment module 110, a customer information portal 108 connected tothe device deployment module, and a deployment database 112 configuredto store deployment data. The device deployment module, the customerinformation portal, and/or the deployment database may be implemented inhardware (e.g., circuits), software, firmware, or a combination thereof.Although the illustrated cloud server is shown with certain componentsand described with certain functionality herein, other embodiments ofthe cloud server may include fewer or more components to implement thesame, less, or more functionality. For example, in some embodiments, thecloud server includes more than one device deployment module, more thanone customer information portal, and/or more than one deploymentdatabase. In another example, although the device deployment module, thecustomer information portal, and the deployment database are shown inFIG. 1 as being connected in certain topology, the network topology ofthe cloud server is not limited to the topology shown in FIG. 1. Inaddition, although the customer information portal 108 is shown in FIG.1 as being a component of the cloud server 102, in other embodiments,the customer information portal may be implemented outside of theserver. In some embodiments, the device deployment module 110 isconfigured to facilitate or perform location (e.g., service area) basednetwork device configuration to network devices (e.g., the deployednetwork 150) at the customer site 114, for example, using a deploymentrule set 130. The deployment rule set 130 may include one or more devicedeployment rules for deploying network devices at the customer site 114,for example, for performing service area based network deviceconfiguration to network devices at the customer site 114. In someembodiments, the deployment database 112 is configured to storedeployment data for a network deployed and/or to be deployed at thecustomer site (e.g., a list of network devices deployed or to bedeployed at the customer site). For example, the deployment database 112is configured to store a network design 160, which may include a list ofnetwork devices to be deployed and/or deployed at the customer site 114,a network topology of network devices and corresponding networkconfigurations and/or location information (e.g., building information,floor information, and/or in-building location information) of thenetwork devices. In some embodiments, the deployment database isconfigured to store a list of network devices deployed or to be deployedat the customer site and detailed information related to the networkdevices, for example, device type information of the network devices,deployment topology information that defines how network devices areconnected to each other, and/or device location information (e.g.,building information, floor information, and in-building locationinformation) of network devices deployed or to be deployed at thecustomer site. In some embodiments, the device deployment module 110 isconfigured to perform service area based network device configuration tonetwork devices (e.g., the deployed network 150) at the customer site114 based on, for example, the network design 160 that is stored in thedeployment database. The network design may include a list of networkdevices to be deployed at the customer site 114, a network topology ofthe network devices, and/or corresponding network configurations and/orlocation information (e.g., building information, floor information,and/or in-building location information) of the network devices. Becausethe device deployment module can facilitate or perform automatic servicearea based network device configuration of network devices at thecustomer site, network deployment efficiency and accuracy can beimproved. In addition, because the device deployment module canfacilitate or perform automatic service area based network deviceconfiguration of network devices at the customer site, a user orcustomer (e.g., a layperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user suchas an employee) at the customer site can set or modify service areabased network device configuration for network devices to be deployed atthe customer site herself or himself without the work of a networkadministrator of the cloud server 102. Consequently, network deploymenttime can be shortened and the labor cost for network deployment can bereduced. The customer information portal 108 is configured to receivecustomer input. In some embodiments, the customer information portal isconfigured to include or generate a user interface that allows acustomer to input information associated with network design for thecustomer site 114, such as one or more specific requirements orrestrictions. For example, the user interface (e.g., a GUI) may allow acustomer to input information regarding service area configuration in afloor plan of a customer site (e.g., the customer site 114) that isspecified in the network design of the customer site. In someembodiments, the customer information portal 108 is configured topresent a GUI to a user, where the GUI includes a floor plan of acustomer site, receive input information on the GUI from the user thatcreates service areas on a floor in the floor plan of the customer site,and receiving network service configuration of the service areas on theGUI from the user. Using the GUI, a user or customer (e.g., a laypersonsuch as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee) at thecustomer site can define service areas graphically on a floor plan andthe cloud server 102 (e.g., the device deployment module 110) canautomatically determine server area based configuration for a networkdevice based on the deployed location of the network device.

In some embodiments, the customer information portal 108 is configuredto generate a user interface to obtain user input information (e.g.,user or customer input 128) regarding service area configuration in afloor plan of a customer site (e.g., the customer site 114). The devicedeployment module may be configured to receive location information of anetwork device at the customer site, automatically determine servicearea specific configuration of the network device based on the servicearea configuration in the floor plan of the customer site and thelocation information of the network device, and to transmit the servicearea specific configuration to the network device. In some embodiments,the user interface includes a GUI. In some embodiments, the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site includes a spacedivision of a floor in the floor plan of the customer site into servicezones, and each of the service zones is a contiguous geographical areaon the floor. In some embodiments, the service area configuration in thefloor plan of the customer site further includes network serviceconfiguration of the service zones. In some embodiments, the networkservice configuration of the service zones includes informationspecifying network services in the service zones. In some embodiments,the network service configuration of the service zones includesinformation specifying network services to be advertised in a singleservice zone of the service zones. In some embodiments, the locationinformation of the network device includes a deployed location of thenetwork device at the customer site. In some embodiments, the deployedlocation of the network device at the customer site includes coordinatesof the network device on a floor in the floor plan of the customer site.In some embodiments, the device deployment module is further configuredto map the coordinates of the network device on the floor in the floorplan of the customer site to one of the service zones on the floor. Insome embodiments, the device deployment module is further configured toreceive network device information of the network device and toautomatically determine the service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site, the location information of the network device,and the network device information of the network device.

FIG. 2 depicts a user 240 having a user device 246 communicating withthe customer information portal 108 of the cloud server 102 of thecommunications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1. The user or customer maybe a layperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as anemployee at the customer site 114. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2,the user device communicates wirelessly with the customer informationportal through a wireless communications link 244 and/or communicateswith the customer information portal through a wired communications link242 (e.g., a wire or network cable) to receive the user or customerinput 128. In some embodiments, the user device is a wireless and/orwired communications device that includes at least one screen (e.g., atouch screen), at least one processor (e.g., a microcontroller, a DSP,and/or a CPU), at least one wired and/or wireless communicationstransceiver, at least one wired and/or wireless communicationsinterface, and/or at least one optional antenna. In some embodiments,the user device is a handheld wireless device, such as a cellular phoneor a mobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), a pad computer, a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA) etc. that supports one or more radio frequency(RF) communications protocols, including without limitation, Bluetooth,The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) andcommunications protocols as defined by the 3rd Generation PartnershipProject (3GPP) or the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), 4GLong Term Evolution (LTE), the fifth generation technology standard forbroadband cellular network (5G), and IEEE 802.16 standards bodies and/orone or more wireless local area network (WLAN) communications protocols,such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol. In some embodiments, the user devicecommunicates wirelessly with the customer information portal throughInternet. In an example operation, the user uses the user device 246 toaccess a graphical user interface (GUI) presented by the customerinformation portal and graphically set (e.g., use a finger to select orslide on the GUI) service areas on a floor of a building in the customersite 114, e.g., using a software application or App installed on theuser device (e.g., a mobile phone or tablet).

Turning back to the communications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1, thecustomer site 114 may include one or more buildings, and each buildingmay include one or more floors. Network devices that can be deployed atthe customer site may include any type of suitable network devices. Forexample, network devices may be designated to be deployed to a specificbuilding, a specific floor within a building, and/or a specific locationon a floor of a building. A network device that can be deployed at thecustomer site may be fully or partially implemented as an IntegratedCircuit (IC) device. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the network150 includes one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N, where Nis a positive integer. In some embodiments, at least one of the one ormore network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N is a wired and/or wirelesscommunications device that includes at least one processor (e.g., amicrocontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), and/or a centralprocessing unit (CPU)), at least one wired or wireless communicationstransceiver implemented in one or more logical circuits and/or one ormore analog circuits, at least one wired or wireless communicationsinterface and that supports at least one wired or wirelesscommunications protocol, and/or at least one antenna. For example, atleast one of the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N may becompatible with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.3 protocol and/or one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)communications protocols, such as IEEE 802.11 protocol. In someembodiments, at least one of the one or more network devices 104-1, . .. , 104-N is a wired communications device that is compatible with atleast one wired local area network (LAN) communications protocol, suchas a wired router (e.g., an Ethernet router), a wired switch, a wiredhub, or a wired bridge device (e.g., an Ethernet bridge). In someembodiments, at least one of the one or more network devices 104-1, . .. , 104-N is a wireless access point (AP) that connects to a local areanetwork (e.g., a LAN) and/or to a backbone network (e.g., the Internet)through a wired connection and that wirelessly connects to wirelessstations (STAs), for example, through one or more WLAN communicationsprotocols, such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol. In some embodiments, atleast one of the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N is awireless station (STA) that wirelessly connects to a wireless AP. Forexample, at least one of the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . ,104-N may be a laptop, a desktop personal computer (PC), a mobile phone,or other wireless device that supports at least one WLAN communicationsprotocol (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 protocol)).

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a network device 304 of thecommunications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1. The network device 304 maybe an embodiment of the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-Nthat are included in the deployed network 150 depicted in FIG. 1.However, the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N that areincluded in the deployed network 150 depicted in FIG. 1 are not limitedto the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3. The network device 304 may be anysuitable type of network device, e.g., a distribution switch, a gateway,an access switch, a wireless access point, or a sensor. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the network device 304 includes awireless and/or wired transceiver 332, a controller 334 (e.g., amicrocontroller, a DSP, and/or a CPU) operably connected to thetransceiver 332, at least one optional antenna 336 operably connected tothe transceiver 332, and at least one optional network port 338 operablyconnected to the transceiver 332. In some embodiments, the transceiver332 includes a physical layer (PHY) device. The transceiver 332 may beany any suitable type of transceiver. For example, the transceiver 332may be a short-range communications transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth) or aLAN transceiver (e.g., a transceiver compatible with an IEEE 802.11protocol). In some embodiments, the network device 304 includes multipletransceivers, for example, a short-range communications transceiver(e.g., a Bluetooth) and a LAN transceiver (e.g., a transceivercompatible with an IEEE 802.11 protocol). The controller 334 may beconfigured to control the transceiver 332 to process to process packetsreceived through the antenna 336 and/or the network port 338 and/or togenerate outgoing packets to be transmitted through the antenna 336and/or the network port 338. The antenna 336 may be any suitable type ofantenna. For example, the antenna 336 may be an induction type antennasuch as a loop antenna or any other suitable type of induction typeantenna. However, the antenna 336 is not limited to an induction typeantenna. The network port 338 may be any suitable type of port. Forexample, the network port 338 may be a local area network (LAN) networkport such as an Ethernet port. However, the network port 338 is notlimited to LAN network ports.

Turning back to the communications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1, theinstaller device 106 may be any type of suitable network device that isused by an operator to facilitate the deployment of network devices(e.g., the network 150) at the customer site 114. In some embodiments,the installer device may be fully or partially implemented as an ICdevice. In some embodiments, the installer device is a wirelesscommunications device that includes at least one processor (e.g., amicrocontroller, a DSP, and/or a CPU), at least one wirelesscommunications transceiver, at least one wireless communicationsinterface, and/or at least one antenna and that supports at least onewireless communications protocol. In some embodiments, the installerdevice is a handheld wireless device, such as a cellular phone or amobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), a pad computer, a PDA etc. thatsupports one or more RF communications protocols, including withoutlimitation, Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS, CDMA, WiMax and communicationsprotocols as defined by 3GPP or 3GPP2, 4G LTE, 5G, and IEEE 802.16standards bodies and/or one or more WLAN communications protocols, suchas an IEEE 802.11 protocol. For example, the installer device 106 is awireless communications device, such as a handheld wireless device(e.g., cellular phone or a mobile phone) that supports multiplecommunications protocols, which may include at least one cellularcommunications protocol and at least short-range communications protocol(e.g., Bluetooth). In some embodiments, network device deploymentsoftware application or App is installed on the installer device 106(e.g., a mobile phone or tablet). In some embodiments, the installerdevice is configured to receive an installation job for deploying anetwork at a customer site, to scan a code of a network device at thecustomer site to obtain network device information, and to send thenetwork device information and location information of the networkdevice at the customer site to the cloud server 102.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of an installer device 406 of thecommunications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1. The installer device 406depicted in FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the installer device 106 depictedin FIG. 1. However, the installer device 106 depicted in FIG. 1 are notlimited to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4. In the embodiment depictedin FIG. 4, an installer device 406 includes a wireless and/or wiredtransceiver 432, a controller 434 (e.g., a microcontroller, a DSP,and/or a CPU) operably connected to the transceiver 432, at least oneantenna 436 operably connected to the transceiver 432, at least oneoptional network port 438 operably connected to the transceiver 432, anda location module 442. In some embodiments, the installer device 406 isa handheld wireless device, such as a cellular phone or a mobile phone(e.g., a smart phone), a pad computer, a PDA etc. that supports one ormore RF communications protocols. In some embodiments, the transceiver432 includes a physical layer (PHY) device. The transceiver 432 may beany any suitable type of transceiver. For example, the transceiver 432may be a short-range communications transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth) or aLAN transceiver (e.g., a transceiver compatible with an IEEE 802.11protocol). In some embodiments, the installer device 406 includesmultiple transceivers, for example, a short-range communicationstransceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth) and a LAN transceiver (e.g., atransceiver compatible with an IEEE 802.11 protocol). The controller 434may be configured to control the transceiver 432 to process to processpackets received through the antenna 436 and/or the network port 438and/or to generate outgoing packets to be transmitted through theantenna 436 and/or the network port 438. The antenna 336, which may beoptional in some implementations, may be any suitable type of antenna.For example, the antenna 436 may be an induction type antenna such as aloop antenna or any other suitable type of induction type antenna.However, the antenna 436 is not limited to an induction type antenna.The network port 438 may be any suitable type of port. For example, thenetwork port 438 may be a local area network (LAN) network port such asan Ethernet port. However, the network port 438 is not limited to LANnetwork ports. The location module 442 is configured to determine orobtain location information of the installer device or a device that isassociated with (e.g., connected with or in the vicinity of) theinstaller device. Examples of location information that can bedetermined or obtained by the location module 442 include without beinglimited to, address information in a map/navigation system, coordinateinformation in a map/navigation system, latitude and longitudeinformation in a map/navigation system, and relative positionalinformation in a map/navigation system. In some embodiments, thelocation information that can be determined or obtained by the locationmodule 442 includes one or more X, Y coordinates and/or GlobalPositioning System (GPS) coordinates or other global or satellitelocation system coordinates. In some embodiments, the location module442 is a GPS or other global or satellite location system module thatincludes a GPS receiver or other global or satellite. In someembodiments, the location module 442 uses location techniques such astriangulation or in-door beacon based location technique to determine orobtain location information of the installer device or a device that isassociated with (e.g., connected with or in the vicinity of) theinstaller device.

Turning back to the communications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1, thesurvey device 116 may be any type of suitable network device that isused by a technician to facilitate network design for the customer site114. The survey device may be fully or partially implemented as an ICdevice. In some embodiments, the survey device is a computing devicethat includes at least one processor (e.g., a microcontroller, a DSP,and/or a CPU), at least one communications transceiver, and at least onecommunications interface and that supports at least one communicationsprotocol. For example, the survey device is a wireless communicationsdevice that includes at least one wireless communications transceiver,at least one wireless communications interface, and/or at least oneantenna and that supports at least one wireless communications protocol.In some embodiments, the survey device is a handheld wireless device,such as a cellular phone or a mobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), a padcomputer, a PDA etc. that supports one or more radio frequency (RF)communications protocols, including without limitation, GSM, UMTS, CDMA,WiMax and communications protocols as defined by 3GPP or 3GPP2, 4G LTE,5G, and IEEE 802.16 standards bodies and/or one or more WLANcommunications protocols, such as IEEE 802.11 protocol. In someembodiments, site survey software (e.g., a commonly used Wi-Fi designand spectrum analysis software or App) is installed on the survey device(e.g., a mobile phone or tablet). In some embodiments, the survey devicemay include a special-purpose device (e.g., a spectrum analyzer device)configured to measure the wireless signal strength at the customer site.Site survey information that is generated by the survey device mayinclude wired connectivity information for the customer site, such asthe number of wired port(s), type of wired port(s) (e.g., power overethernet (PoE) vs. non-PoE), and/or the location(s) of port(s) availableat the customer site and/or to be newly installed at the customer site,and/or wireless connectivity information for the customer site, such asthe number of wireless APs available at the customer site and/or to benewly installed at the customer site to deliver the coverage andcapacity required for the customer site.

FIGS. 5-11 depict some example GUIs that can be used to obtain userinput information regarding service area configuration in a floor planof a customer site (e.g., the customer site 114). Specifically, FIG. 5illustrates a zone design GUI 550 used by a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee)at the customer site to input service area configuration in a floor planof the customer site. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the zonedesign GUI 550 includes a “Save Zone Design” button 552 that allows theuser to save a service zone design on a floor plan, a “Print ZoneDesign” button 554 that allows the user to print a service zone designon a floor plan, an “Export Zone Design” button 556 that allows the userto export a service zone design, an “Add Zone” button 558 that allowsthe user to add a service zone in a floor plan, a “Remove Zone” button560 that allows the user to remove a service zone in a floor plan, a“Set Zone Shape” button 562 that allows the user to set the shape of aservice zone in a floor plan, and a “Configure Zone Service” button 564that allows the user to configure at least one network service in aservice zone in a floor plan. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, thezone design GUI 550 also includes a floor plan area 570 that containslobbies 572, 574, a lab 576, an officer 578, a café 582, and aconference room 584 in a floor of a building at the customer site. Auser or customer (e.g., a layperson such as a worker on-site or anend-user such as an employee of an enterprise) at the customer site candefine service areas or zones in the floor plan area 570 graphicallyfrom the GUI 550. Each service zone is a polygon shape that represents aspace on a floor. Each service zone may be a contiguous geographicalarea on a floor of a building that corresponding to the floor plan area570. For example, a lobby, a café, or a conference room may bedesignated as a service zone. A floor may have zero service zone ormultiple service zones. In some embodiments, a floor includes multipleinstances of one service zone. For example, a lobby service zone mayinclude two lobbies (e.g., the lobbies 572, 574) that are present at twoends of a floor. Although the zone design GUI 550 is shown with certaincomponents, other embodiments of the zone design GUI 550 may includefewer or more components. In addition, although the floor plan area 570is shown with certain portions with certain shapes, other embodiments ofthe floor plan area 570 may include fewer or more portions with the sameshapes or different shapes.

FIG. 6 illustrates a GUI 650 that is the result of setting a servicezone on the floor plan area 570 of the zone design GUI 550 depicted inFIG. 5. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, a user or customer (e.g.,a layperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employeeof an enterprise) at the customer site 114 designates service zone I asincluding the lobbies 572, 574 in the floor plan area 570, for example,by pressing the “Add Zone” button 558. In some embodiments, each servicezone in the floor plan area 570 is filled by a different color, adifferent shade, and/or a different pattern.

FIG. 7 illustrates a GUI 750 that is the result of setting anotherservice zone on the floor plan area 570 of the GUI 650 depicted in FIG.6. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee ofan enterprise) at the customer site 114 designates service zone II asincluding the café 582 in the floor plan area 570, for example, bypressing the “Add Zone” button 558.

FIG. 8 illustrates a GUI 850 that is the result of setting anotherservice zone on the floor plan area 570 of the GUI 750 depicted in FIG.7. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 8, a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee ofan enterprise) at the customer site 114 designates service zone II asincluding the café 582 in the floor plan area 570, for example, bypressing the “Add Zone” button 558.

FIG. 9 illustrates a GUI 950 that is the result of setting anotherservice zone on the floor plan area 570 of the GUI 850 depicted in FIG.8. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9, a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee ofan enterprise) at the customer site 114 designates service zone IV asincluding the conference room 584 in the floor plan area 570, forexample, by pressing the “Add Zone” button 558.

FIG. 10 illustrates a GUI 1050 that is the result of setting anotherservice zone on the floor plan area 570 of the GUI 950 depicted in FIG.9. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, a user or customer (e.g., alayperson such as a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee ofan enterprise) at the customer site 114 designates service zone IV asincluding the office 578 in the floor plan area 570, for example, bypressing the “Add Zone” button 558. In some embodiments, each servicezone in the floor plan area 570 is filled by a different color, adifferent shade, and/or a different pattern.

A user or customer (e.g., a layperson such as a worker on-site or anend-user such as an employee of an enterprise) at the customer site 114can advertise a specific set of wireless services in service zones. Forexample, a lobby may have a guest wireless service with a first networkname (e.g., a first service set identifier (SSID)), while a lab may havelab wireless service with a second network name (e.g., a second SSID).In some embodiments, a service zone has more than one wireless service.For example, a lobby may have an employee wireless service and a guestwireless service with different network names (e.g., different SSIDs).

FIG. 11 illustrates a GUI 1150 that is the result of setting wirelessservices for different service zones on the floor plan area 570 of theGUI 1050 depicted in FIG. 10. A user or customer (e.g., a layperson suchas a worker on-site or an end-user such as an employee of an enterprise)at the customer site 114 designates network services for the servicezones in the floor plan area 570, for example, by pressing the“Configure Zone Service” button 564. In the embodiment depicted in FIG.11, the GUI 1150 includes a wireless service area 1170 that containswireless service SSIDs for the service zones I, II, III, IV, and V inthe GUI 1050 depicted in FIG. 10, represented in areas 1172, 1174, 1176,1178, 1180, 1182, 1184, 1186, 1188, 1190, 1192, 1194. Specifically, twowireless networks with SSIDs “Employee” and “Guest” are advertised,provided, or offered to service zone I, a wireless network with SSID“Cafe” is advertised, provided, or offered to service zone II, awireless network with SSID “Lab” is advertised, provided, or offered toservice zone III, a wireless network with SSID “Conf” is advertised,provided, or offered to service zone IV, and a wireless network withSSID “Office” is advertised, provided, or offered to service zone V.Because each service zone has at least one dedicated wireless network,different network services can be provided to network devices indifferent service zones. In addition, by providing multiple wirelessservices to one service zone, different network services can be providedto network devices in one service zone.

FIG. 12 shows a swim-lane diagram illustrating an example procedure forautomatic service area based network device configuration in thecommunications system 100 depicted in FIG. 1. In this automatic servicearea based network device configuration, a user interface is presentedto a user or customer (e.g., a layperson such as a worker on-site or anend-user such as an employee of an enterprise) at the customer site 114to obtain user input information regarding service area configuration ina floor plan of the customer site and service area specificconfiguration of a network device is automatically determined based onthe service area configuration in the floor plan of the customer siteand the location information of the network device. Although operationsin the example procedure in FIG. 12 are described in a particular order,in some embodiments, the order of the operations in the exampleprocedure may be altered so that certain operations may be performed inan inverse order or so that certain operations may be performed, atleast in part, concurrently with other operations.

In operation 1202, which may be optional, the survey device 116transmits survey information of the customer site 114 to the devicedeployment module 110 of the cloud server 102. The site surveyinformation may include at least one floor plan of at least one buildingat the customer site, wired connectivity information for the customersite, such as the number of wired port(s), type of wired port(s) (e.g.,power over ethernet (PoE) vs. non-PoE), and/or the location(s) ofport(s) available at the customer site and/or to be newly installed atthe customer site, and/or wireless connectivity information for thecustomer site, such as the number of wireless APs available at thecustomer site and/or to be newly installed at the customer site todeliver the coverage and capacity required for the customer site. Inoperation 1204, which may be optional, floor plan information istransmitted from the device deployment module to the customerinformation portal 108. In some embodiments, at least one floor plan ofat least one building at the customer site is provided to the devicedeployment module and/or the customer information portal 108 by a useror customer at the customer site 114, for example, the user 240 throughthe user device 246 depicted in FIG. 2.

In operation 1206, the customer information portal 108 presents a userinterface (e.g., a GUI) to the user 240. In operation 1208, the user 240provides service area configuration through the user interface. Forexample, the customer information portal 108 presents a GUI on a screen(e.g., a touch screen) of the user device 246 of the user 240, whichallows the user to graphically set (e.g., use a finger to select orslide on the GUI) service areas on a floor of a building in the customersite 114, e.g., using a software application or App installed on theuser device (e.g., a mobile phone or tablet). For example, inputinformation may be received on the user interface from the user, whichcreates a service areas on a floor in a floor plan of the customer siteand network service configuration of the service areas is received onthe user interface from the user. Once a user or customer defines aservice area or zone on a floor plan using the interface, the boundariesof the service area or zone are defined. Any network device whoselocation falls in the boundaries of the service area or zone (e.g., theX, Y coordinates of the service area or zone) is deemed to be part ofthe service area or zone and the appropriate configuration is sent tothe network device. In some embodiments, the service area configurationin a floor plan of the customer site includes a space division of afloor in the floor plan of the customer site into multiple servicezones. Each of the service zones may be a contiguous geographical areaon the floor. In some embodiments, the service area configuration in thefloor plan of the customer site further includes network serviceconfiguration of the service zones, which may contain informationspecifying network services in the service zones. In some embodiments,multiple network services may be advertised in a single service zone.

In operation 1210, the service area configuration is transmitted fromthe customer information portal 108 to the device deployment module 110,which subsequently determines network information (e.g., the networkdesign 160) for a network to be deployed at the customer site 114 (e.g.,the network 150) in operation 1212. In some embodiments, the networkdesign may also include a Bill of Materials (BoM) and a connectivity mapfor the network to be deployed at the customer site. Because the devicedeployment module can automatically determine a network design for anetwork at a customer site (e.g., the customer site 114), network designefficiency and accuracy can be improved. After the device deploymentmodule 110 of the cloud server 102 determines the network design 160 fora network to be deployed at the customer site 114, in operation 1214,the device deployment module stores the network design 160 in thedeployment database 112.

In some embodiments, after the device deployment module 110 of the cloudserver 102 determines the network design 160 for a network to bedeployed at the customer site 114, the network 150 is deployed (e.g.,network devices including switches, routers, hubs, and/or wireless APsare installed) at the customer site 114 based on the network design. Inoperation 1216, the device deployment module 110 assigns an installationjob to an installer or technician that uses the installer device 106. Insome embodiments, the installer/technician uses a mobile application(app) that is installed in the installer device and is assigned theinstallation job via the mobile app. For example, the installer deviceis a handheld wireless device, such as a cellular phone or a mobilephone (e.g., a smart phone), a pad computer, a PDA etc., and the mobileapp is a mobile application from an application store (e.g., AndroidMarket, Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, carrier applications stores,etc.). In an embodiment, an installation job that is assigned to theinstaller or technician includes detailed information related to acustomer and network device deployment information. The detailedinformation related to a customer may include the name of the customer,site information of the customer, floor information of the customer,and/or the address of the customer. The network device deploymentinformation may include a list of device(s) to be installed and devicetype(s), floor plan(s) and locations of a network device is to beinstalled in a floor plan, and/or a deployment topology that defines hownetwork devices are connected to each other. One or more network devicesto be installed are sent to a customer site. In some embodiments, thereis no pre-population of device specific information (e.g., device serialnumber and/or media access control (MAC) address) of a network device tobe installed in a central database when the network device to beinstalled is sent to a customer site. For example, the device deploymentmodule 110 has no knowledge of specific information (e.g., device serialnumber and/or media access control (MAC) address) of a network device tobe installed at a customer site before the network device is installedat the customer site.

In operation 1218, an installer or a technician uses the installerdevice 106 to scan the one or more network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-Nof the network 150 at the customer site 114. In some embodiments, theinstaller or technician uses information in a mobile app installed inthe installer device and scans each of the network devices 104-1, . . ., 104-N at a customer location indicated by the mobile app. Theinstaller or technician may use the installer device (e.g., a mobile appinstalled in the installer device) to scan a code (e.g., a QuickResponse (QR) code) of each of the network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N.The code of a network device may be on a surface of the network deviceand/or on the packaging (e.g., the box or the wrapper) of the networkdevice. For example, the code of a network device may be stamped on,printed on, or attached to a surface of the network device and/or on thepackaging of the network device. The code of a network device may be anysuitable code that can be read (e.g., optically read) by the installerdevice 106, which may be a handheld device, such as a mobile phone or atablet. For example, the code of a network device may be a QR code or atwo-dimensional (2D) barcode on the network device (e.g., printed on ahousing of the device itself or printed on packaging of the networkdevice). The code (e.g., the QR code) on a network device may representor contain the serial number of the network device, a device type of thenetwork device, and/or MAC address information of the network device. Inanother example, the code of a network device is a radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) tag or a Near-Field-Communication (NFC) tag thatcan be wirelessly read by the installer device 106. In operation 1220,the installer device 106 obtains information regarding the one or morenetwork devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N of the network 150 (e.g., deviceinformation and location information of the one or more network devices104-1, . . . , 104-N of the network 150) based on scanning of thenetwork devices. For example, the installer device 106 obtains theserial number of each network device, a device type of each networkdevice, and/or MAC address information of each network device based on ascanned QR code of each network device and the location of each networkdevice during the scan of the QR code of each network device.

In operation 1222, the installer device 106 transmits the informationregarding each of the network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N that isobtained from a scan of the network device and/or location informationof the network device to the device deployment module 110 of the cloudserver 102. Examples of location information of a network device includewithout being limited to, address information in a map/navigationsystem, coordinate information in a map/navigation system, latitude andlongitude information in a map/navigation system, and relativepositional information in a map/navigation system. In some embodiments,the location information of a network device includes one or more GPScoordinates of the network device. In some embodiments, the installerdevice transmits the MAC address and the serial number of the networkdevice and the customer information from a mobile app installed in theinstaller device that contains location information of the networkdevice to the device deployment module.

In operation 1224, the device deployment module 110 of the cloud server102 activates each of the network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N of thenetwork 150, for example, based on the device information and/or thelocation information received from the installer device, the networkdesign 160, and/or the deployment rule set 130. In some embodiments, thedevice deployment module associates each network device with a databaseentry of the network design 160 in the deployment database 112 of thecloud server without manual input. After a network device is associatedwith a corresponding database entry in the deployment database, thenetwork device is activated. In some embodiments, the device deploymentmodule performs location based service activation of the network devices104-1, . . . , 104-N. In some embodiments, when a network device isactivated, the X, Y coordinates of the network device are communicatedto the device deployment module, which maps the X, Y coordinates to aservice area or zone in a floor of a building at the customer site andbuilds or determines a zone specific configuration for the networkdevice. For example, if the X, Y coordinates of a specific networkdevice is within the boundary of a particular service area in a floor(e.g., within the corner X, Y coordinates of the particular service areain a floor), the specific network device is determined as being in theparticular service area and the network configuration (e.g., one or moreparticular networks such as SSIDs) that is set for the particularservice area is applied to or by the specific network device.

In operation 1226, the device deployment module 110 of the cloud server102 automatically determines service area specific configuration for anetwork device (e.g., the network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N of thenetwork 150), for example, based on the network design 160 and/or thedeployment rule set 130. Operation 1226 may be executed prior to,concurrently with, or after operation 1224. The device deployment modulemay automatically determine service area specific configuration for anetwork device based on service area configuration in a floor plan ofthe customer site that is received from a user interface and thelocation information (e.g., the deployed location) of the networkdevice. For example, the deployed location of the network device at thecustomer site may include coordinates of the network device on a floorin the floor plan of the customer site. In some embodiments, thecoordinates of the network device on the floor in the floor plan of thecustomer site are mapped to one of the service zones on the floor. Insome embodiments, the service area specific configuration of the networkdevice is automatically determined based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site, the locationinformation of the network device, and the network device information ofthe network device. In operation 1228, the service area specificconfiguration of the network device is transmitted to the network devicein the network, which configures its device and network setting(s)according to the service area specific configuration. For example, ifthe X, Y coordinates of a specific network device is within the boundaryof a particular service area in a floor (e.g., within the corner X, Ycoordinates of the particular service area in a floor), the specificnetwork device is determined as being in the particular service area andthe network configuration (e.g., one or more particular networks such asSSIDs) that is set for the particular service area is applied to or bythe specific network device.

FIG. 13 is a process flow diagram of a method of network deployment inaccordance to an embodiment of the invention. According to the method,at block 1302, at a cloud server, a user interface is generated toobtain user input information regarding service area configuration in afloor plan of a customer site. In some embodiments, the user interfaceincludes a graphical user interface (GUI). In some embodiments, theservice area configuration in the floor plan of the customer siteincludes a space division of a floor in the floor plan of the customersite into a plurality of service zones, and each of the service zones isa contiguous geographical area on the floor. In some embodiments, theservice area configuration in the floor plan of the customer sitefurther includes network service configuration of the service zones. Insome embodiments, the network service configuration of the service zonesincludes information specifying network services in the service zones.In some embodiments, the network service configuration of the servicezones includes information specifying network services to be advertisedin a single service zone of the service zones. At block 1304, at thecloud server, location information of a network device is received atthe customer site. In some embodiments, the location information of thenetwork device includes a deployed location of the network device at thecustomer site. In some embodiments, the deployed location of the networkdevice at the customer site includes coordinates of the network deviceon a floor in the floor plan of the customer site. At block 1306, at thecloud server, service area specific configuration of the network deviceis automatically determined based on the service area configuration inthe floor plan of the customer site and the location information of thenetwork device. In some embodiments, at the cloud server, thecoordinates of the network device on the floor in the floor plan of thecustomer site are mapped to one of a plurality of service zones on thefloor. At block 1308, from the cloud server, the service area specificconfiguration is transmitted to the network device. In some embodiments,at the cloud server, network device information of the network device isreceived, and at the cloud server, the service area specificconfiguration of the network device is generated based on the servicearea configuration in the floor plan of the customer site, the locationinformation of the network device, and the network device information ofthe network device. The operations 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308 in the flowdiagram of FIG. 13 may correspond to the operations 1206, 1208, 1222,1224, 1226 in the swim-lane diagram of FIG. 12. The cloud server may besimilar to, the same as, or a component of the cloud server 102 depictedin FIG. 1. The network device may be similar to, the same as, or acomponent of the network devices 104-1, . . . , 104-N depicted inFIG. 1. The customer site may be similar to, the same as, or a componentof the customer site 114 depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram of a method of network deployment inaccordance to an embodiment of the invention. According to the method,at block 1402, a graphical user interface (GUI) is presented to a user,where the GUI includes a floor plan of a customer site. At block 1404,input information is received on the GUI from the user that creates aplurality of service areas on a floor in the floor plan of the customersite. At block 1406, network service configuration of the service areasis received on the GUI from the user. The operations 1402, 1404, 1406 inthe flow diagram of FIG. 14 may correspond to the operations 1206, 1208in the swim-lane diagram of FIG. 12. The GUI may be similar to, the sameas, or a component of the GUI depicted in FIGS. 6-11. The user may besimilar to, the same as, or a component of the user 240 depicted in FIG.2. The customer site may be similar to, the same as, or a component ofthe customer site 114 depicted in FIG. 1.

Although the operations of the method(s) herein are shown and describedin a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may bealtered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse orderor so that certain operations may be performed, at least in part,concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructionsor sub-operations of distinct operations may be implemented in anintermittent and/or alternating manner.

It should also be noted that at least some of the operations for themethods described herein may be implemented using software instructionsstored on a computer useable storage medium for execution by a computer.As an example, an embodiment of a computer program product includes acomputer useable storage medium to store a computer readable program.

The computer-useable or computer-readable storage medium can be anelectronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, orsemiconductor system (or apparatus or device). Examples ofnon-transitory computer-useable and computer-readable storage mediainclude a semiconductor or solid-state memory, magnetic tape, aremovable computer diskette, a random-access memory (RAM), a read-onlymemory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk, and an optical disk. Currentexamples of optical disks include a compact disk with read only memory(CD-ROM), a compact disk with read/write (CD-R/W), and a digital videodisk (DVD).

Alternatively, embodiments of the invention may be implemented entirelyin hardware or in an implementation containing both hardware andsoftware elements. In embodiments which use software, the software mayinclude but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode,etc.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described andillustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms orarrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of theinvention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of network device configuration, themethod comprising: at a cloud server, generating a user interface toobtain user input information regarding service area configuration in afloor plan of a customer site; at the cloud server, receiving locationinformation of a network device at the customer site; at the cloudserver, automatically determining service area specific configuration ofthe network device based on the service area configuration in the floorplan of the customer site and the location information of the networkdevice; and from the cloud server, transmitting the service areaspecific configuration to the network device.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface (GUI).3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service area configuration in thefloor plan of the customer site comprises a space division of a floor inthe floor plan of the customer site into a plurality of service zones,and wherein each of the service zones is a contiguous geographical areaon the floor.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site further comprisesnetwork service configuration of the service zones.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the network service configuration of the service zonescomprises information specifying a plurality of network services in theservice zones.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network serviceconfiguration of the service zones comprises information specifying aplurality of network services to be advertised in a single service zoneof the service zones.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the locationinformation of the network device comprises a deployed location of thenetwork device at the customer site.
 8. The method of claim 7, whereinthe deployed location of the network device at the customer sitecomprises a plurality of coordinates of the network device on a floor inthe floor plan of the customer site.
 9. The method of claim 8, whereinat the cloud server, automatically determining the service area specificconfiguration of the network device based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site and the locationinformation of the network device comprises at the cloud server, mappingthe coordinates of the network device on the floor in the floor plan ofthe customer site to one of a plurality of service zones on the floor.10. The method of claim 1, further comprises at the cloud server,receiving network device information of the network device, wherein atthe cloud server, automatically determining the service area specificconfiguration of the network device based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site and the locationinformation of the network device comprises at the cloud server,automatically determining the service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site, the location information of the network device,and the network device information of the network device.
 11. A cloudserver, the cloud server comprising: a customer information portalconfigured to generate a user interface to obtain user input informationregarding service area configuration in a floor plan of a customer site;and a device deployment module connected to the customer informationportal, wherein the device deployment module is configured to: receivelocation information of a network device at the customer site;automatically determine service area specific configuration of thenetwork device based on the service area configuration in the floor planof the customer site and the location information of the network device;and transmit the service area specific configuration to the networkdevice.
 12. The cloud server of claim 11, wherein the user interfacecomprises a graphical user interface (GUI).
 13. The cloud server ofclaim 12, wherein the service area configuration in the floor plan ofthe customer site comprises a space division of a floor in the floorplan of the customer site into a plurality of service zones, and whereineach of the service zones is a contiguous geographical area on thefloor.
 14. The cloud server of claim 13, wherein the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site further comprisesnetwork service configuration of the service zones.
 15. The cloud serverof claim 14, wherein the network service configuration of the servicezones comprises information specifying a plurality of network servicesin the service zones.
 16. The cloud server of claim 11, wherein thelocation information of the network device comprises a deployed locationof the network device at the customer site.
 17. The cloud server ofclaim 16, wherein the deployed location of the network device at thecustomer site comprises a plurality of coordinates of the network deviceon a floor in the floor plan of the customer site.
 18. The cloud serverof claim 17, wherein the device deployment module is further configuredto map the coordinates of the network device on the floor in the floorplan of the customer site to one of a plurality of service zones on thefloor.
 19. The cloud server of claim 11, wherein the device deploymentmodule is further configured to: receive network device information ofthe network device; and automatically determine the service areaspecific configuration of the network device based on the service areaconfiguration in the floor plan of the customer site, the locationinformation of the network device, and the network device information ofthe network device.
 20. A method of network device configuration, themethod comprising: presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) to auser, wherein the GUI comprises a floor plan of a customer site;receiving input information on the GUI from the user that creates aplurality of service areas on a floor in the floor plan of the customersite; and receiving network service configuration of the service areason the GUI from the user.